Alison Bennett MP: written questions
247 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Infant Foods: LabellingDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 17 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 38819More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that healthcare settings provide (i) timely, (ii) clear, (iii) accurate and (iv) impartial information on the nutritional sufficiency of infant formula
Answer: Infant feeding is critical to a baby’s healthy growth and development. The Government is committed to giving every child the best start in life and that includes helping families to access support to feed their baby.Whilst breastfeeding has significant he...
Answered 20 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordBetter Care Fund: CarersDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 11 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 37470More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish funding by the Better Care Fund to support unpaid carers for (a) 2023 and (b) 2024, by region.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 3 March 2025 to Question 33291.
Answered 18 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordConstruction: New BusinessesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36972More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if his Department will take steps with Companies House to create a database to enable consumers to check whether builders have previously liquidated their companies and opened new businesses under a ne
Answer: Companies House does not have any plans to build a specific database for the purpose outlined. Companies House is taking action to improve the quality of the information on the Register of Companies using powers made available by the Economic Crime and Co...
Answered 13 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordConstruction: LicensingDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36971More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what plans his Department has to introduce a licensing scheme for builders undertaking domestic building works.
Answer: This Government is working to ensure we have a high-quality and professional construction industry, with consumer protection at the heart of this. TrustMark, sponsored by the Department and licenced by the Government, is the Government Endorsed Quality Sc...
Answered 13 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordApple: CryptographyHome OfficeTabled 7 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36544More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the protection of personal data in the context of Apple’s withdrawal of Advanced Data Protection.
Answer: The UK has a strong track record of protecting people’s privacy whilst also ensuring action can be taken against child sexual abusers and terrorists.The Investigatory Powers Act contains robust safeguards and independent oversight to protect privacy and e...
Answered 14 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordStreptococcus: ScreeningDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35121More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that Group B Streptococcus-specific enriched culture medium testing is available in hospital laboratories.
Answer: Enriched culture medium testing is used in National Health Service laboratories. Current clinical practice is that if a routine urine test in pregnancy indicates a bacterial infection, microbiology techniques, such as enriched culture medium plates, shoul...
Answered 10 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordStreptococcus: VaccinationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35120More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation on the (a) development and (b) future rollout of a Group B Streptococcus vaccine.
Answer: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has identified that maternal vaccine products to protect infants against group B streptococcus (GBS) are currently in development. A sub-committee of the JCVI will be stood up to evaluate the bene...
Answered 7 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordStreptococcus: Clinical TrialsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35119More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to ensure that the results of the GBS3 trial are acted upon (a) quickly and (b) effectively.
Answer: The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) stands ready to receive the results of the GBS3 trial. The UK NSC Secretariat is in close and regular contact with the researchers. The committee will consider the evidence from the trial, once the report is av...
Answered 7 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordArmed Conflict: Democratic Republic of CongoHome OfficeTabled 3 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 35118More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether money spent on the UK and Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership has been distributed to M23 militias in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Answer: Under the previous government’s Migration and Economic Development Partnership (MEDP) with Rwanda, an Economic Transformation and Integration Fund was agreed to support the Government of Rwanda to achieve its Vision 2050 and National Strategy for Transfor...
Answered 19 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDriving under InfluenceDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 34516More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to review offences in the Road Traffic Act 1988 relating to driving under the influence of drinks or drugs.
Answer: The Government takes road safety seriously, and we are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. My Department has begun work on a new Road Safety Strategy, the first in over a decade, and will share more details in due c...
Answered 5 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing and PlanningMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 34150More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that (a) new planning proposals and (b) increased house building do not (i) negatively impact wildlife and (ii) worsen environmental degradatio
Answer: The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that planning policies and decisions should contribute to and enhance the natural and local environment by recognising the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside, and the wider benefits from natur...
Answered 10 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordBetter Care FundDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 24 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33291More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish funding by the Better Care Fund to support unpaid carers for (a) 2023 and (b) 2024, by region; and what information his Department holds on regional variation in Better Care Fund
Answer: NHS England publishes planning data for the Better Care Fund, by region and local authority. This provides a breakdown of income, planned expenditure by different types of activity and planned performance against agreed metrics. The latest data is availab...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordCarersDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32768More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to increase the proportion of carers who are provided practical support after they have undertaken a carer’s assessment.
Answer: Local authorities have a responsibility to support those caring for family and friends.Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities must provide a range of high-quality care services, including support for carers. They are required to conduct Carer’s Assess...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordCarersDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32767More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of placing a new statutory duty on local authorities to ensure all unpaid carers are able to take regular breaks.
Answer: This Government is committed to ensuring families have the support they need. We want to ensure that people who care for family and friends are better able to look after their own health and wellbeing. Local authorities have duties to support people carin...
Answered 11 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordCarers: FinanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32764More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on how much local authorities have spent on unpaid carers in each of the last five years.
Answer: The Department holds data on the number of unpaid carers over the age of 18 receiving direct support from local authorities (LAs) in England, and the cost of this support. Data is collected from LAs in the Short and Long Term data return and the Adult Soc...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordBetter Care FundDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32763More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the recently published policy framework for the Better Care Fund will support unpaid carers; and whether the Better Care Fund includes any ringfenced funding for supporting unpaid carers.
Answer: The Better Care Fund (BCF) includes funding that can be used for unpaid carer support, including short breaks and respite services for carers. As set out in the BCF policy framework published on 30 January 2025, to meet the objectives of the BCF, local ar...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordIVF: FinanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32762More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to require integrated care boards to remove requirements for (a) same sex couples and (b) single women to have privately-funded IVF cycles before they are accepted for NHS-funded I
Answer: The Government recognises that fertility treatment across the National Health Service in England is subject to variation in access. Work continues on joint advice from the Department and NHS England about the offer around NHS-funded fertility services, in...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordAfghanistan: Crimes against HumanityForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32757More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will ask the International Criminal Court to investigate the Taliban’s actions towards women in Afghanistan as crimes against humanity.
Answer: We continue to condemn the Taliban's draconian restrictions on women and girls' rights. Those responsible for international crimes committed in Afghanistan should be held to account for their actions. We note the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecu...
Answered 26 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordCrimes against HumanityForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32756More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of designating gender apartheid as a crime against humanity under international law.
Answer: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is aware of calls for the inclusion of a new crime of gender apartheid in the draft Crimes Against Humanity Convention. We are assessing the merits and risks of such an approach by engaging closely with civ...
Answered 26 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPensions: AgeTreasuryTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32730More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to review the increase to the normal minimum pension age for accessing private pensions from April 2028.
Answer: The normal minimum pension age is the lowest age at which the majority of members can take benefits from a registered pension scheme without incurring tax charges, except in cases of ill-health. It will increase from age 55 to age 57 in April 2028. The Go...
Answered 26 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordIVF: FinanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32699More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to require integrated care boards to remove requirements for (a) same sex couples and (b) single women to have privately-funded IVF cycles before they are accepted for NHS-funded I
Answer: The Government recognises that fertility treatment across the National Health Service in England is subject to variation in access. Work is continuing on joint advice from the Department and NHS England about the offer around NHS-funded fertility services...
Answered 26 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordUrinary Tract Infections: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32698More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the provision of specialists in female urology across England to ensure that women suffering from recurrent episodes of UTIs receive the highest
Answer: No such assessment has been made by the Department. Such services are locally managed and commissioned in accordance with the population’s needs.
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: VeteransDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 21 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32275More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has plans to change the classification of military compensation to bring it in line with civil compensation, in the context of what is categorised as a source of income for benefits means te
Answer: The receipt of War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) awards is already fully ignored when calculating eligibility for Universal Credit. This is in line with the treatment of civil compensation payments for personal injury, which are usu...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordMobility Scooters: Overseas TradeTreasuryTabled 13 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 31734More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to review the commodity code classification for mobility scooters.
Answer: There are no plans to review the classification of mobility scooters. HMRC classify mobility scooters under the description of ‘Vehicles specially designed for travelling on snow, golf cars and similar vehicles’ under tariff heading 8703, which is in line...
Answered 24 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordPension Protection FundDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 12 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 31314More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to review the indexation of pensions paid by the Pension Protection Fund.
Answer: The Pension Protection Fund rules on indexation have been the subject of much discussion. I will continue to consider this issue, and the valuable report of the Work and Pensions Select Committee report from March 2024. The Government will respond fully t...
Answered 24 Feb 2025
Original Parliament record
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